The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Ladies & Gentlemen - The Parkline

626: A Cathedral to the Times

Gonna be hard for the Q to stop referring to it as 626. That's right - 626 Flatbush has a proper name. The Parkline. Though it will come as little surprise to you, the "non" affordable 80% of the building does not come cheap. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the mid-middle class kinda gets shafted right out of the fee structure. That is, until we all get that big raise the boss is always a day or two away from giving us. By my rough estimates, if you are single, you'll need to be making at least $80K just to "hardship it." If you're a four person family, you'll need twice that and take no vacations - or come fully funded from prior endeavors or trust fund. That is to say - welcome Lefferts - to NYC's Professionals Club. From their intro email:

Unfortunately that price isn't out of wack with the market. It's on par with what you would expect compared to downtown Brooklyn, especially when you add in the amazing views of either city-scape or the park. I do share the sentiment that I wish it was condos, but that price might have been even more shocking to people.It does raise questions of what can be expected from the building on Lincoln for rent, since it is "more in line" with what people expect from development in the area. I have a strong feeling the price tag still won't be, despite it's "10% below market rate" restriction.

And now every time we look up from Prospect Park we can know just what our insect overlords are paying for the privilege of looking down at us. How apt that they name it the "Parkline," since it will have the singular distinction of piercing the viewscape planned by Olmsted and Vaux to be an illusion of rural isolation.

While it's true that you can see it from the park, this is neither the tallest, the largest, or the most dense building in the immediate vicinity of the park. In terms of square footage on a given lot, 9 Prospect Park West is much more dense.Is it the height that people object to?